Police are urging those with concerns about possible victims of female genital mutilation (FGM) to contact officials who can help tackle it.

A report Tackling FGM was released yesterday. It states that more needs to be done in the UK to safeguard young girls and babies at risk of the brutal procedure.

As the Telegraph & Argus reported last year, an estimated 120 women in Bradford have been seen by healthcare professionals at Bradford Royal Infirmary in the 18 months up to November 2012. They are the last figures to be released. Councillor Ralph Berry, exectuive member for children’s services, said that it was a “truly horrifying” practice with no basis in faith.

“We need to reiterate this is a crime and an unbelievably appalling practice,” he said. “We do need to raise awareness of this very serious issue and we know of some cases in Bradford because of mothers giving birth at Bradford Royal Infirmary. We need a very thorough process of training to make sure people are aware of who to go to.”

It is believed FGM happens in the UK as well as overseas, often in the family’s country of origin, when girls of school age are often taken overseas during the school summer holidays.

The latest report, written by experts from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the Royal College of obstetricians and gynaecologists, human rights organisation Equality Now and union Unite, states that: “There is a growing consensus that the system is failing to protect girls from FGM and more needs to be done in the UK to intervene early in a child’s life, and to safeguard those girls at risk.” The group made a series of recommendations to tackle the issue in the UK including medical staff questioning all new young female patients to determine whether they, their children or other family members have fallen victim to the practice or are in danger of being subjected to FGM.

They also called for schools and social services to improve the way that they gather and pass on information about girls at risk of mutilation. Figures suggest that as many as 66,000 women in England and Wales have undergone FGM and 23,000 girls under the age of 15 from African communities are “at risk”.